Eric Voegelin Political Readings: From the Ancient Greeks to Modern Times

Session Submission Type: Virtual Roundtable

Session Description

The main aim of this roundtable is to present and discuss the recently published book on Eric Voegelin from the editorial Routledge: "Eric Voegelin’s Political Readings: From the Ancient Greeks to Modern Times" (2021). This book presents the work of Eric Voegelin through his way of reading political philosophers of different historical periods, three ancients and three moderns. The book on Voegelin has been edited by Bernat Torres (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya) and Josep Monserrat (Universitat de Barcelona). The book is structured into a preface (written by Z. Planinc), an introduction (written by Bernat Torres and Josep Monserrat) and six chapters, each of them dealing with the way Voegelin reads and is influenced by six political philosophers. The first three chapters are devoted to ancient political philosophers: Plato (written by Bernat Torres), Aristotle (written by Barry Cooper) and Saint Augustine (written by Nicoletta Scotti). The following three chapters deal with modern philosophers: Thomas Hobbes (written by Thierry Gontier), Max Weber (written by Bjorn Thomassen) and Hans Kelsen (written by Arpad Szakolczai). The choice of these political philosophers is derived directly from the impact that they had on the life and philosophical production of Eric Voegelin. At the same time, these authors represent some of the major contributions to the history of political thought, ranging from classical times (Plato, Aristotle and Saint Augustine) to modernity (Hobbes, Weber and Kelsen). This is precisely the main inspiration for the book title and one of its main features: the dialogue between the ancients and the moderns.

In the roundtable, six of the authors will participate by presenting their contribution. The roundtable will open with a short presentation by the author the preface (Z. Planinc, 10 minutes), after that the co-editor and co-author of the introduction and author of the first chapter on Plato will talk (20 minutes). After that Cooper, Scotti, Gontier and Thomassen will present their chapters (10 minutes each, in total 40). In total, 70 minutes of exposition, which will leave 20 minutes for the open discussion.

Presentations will follow the order of the book chapters. First of all, the preface and presentation of the book, done by Z. Planinc (McMaster University), where the project of the book is going to be described from the perspective of the voegelinian studies and also from the perspective of philosophy as a way of life. After that, Bernat Torres (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya & Eric Voegelin Gesellschaft) will present the project of the book and also the chapter on Plato. Explaining how the Athenian thinker is at the base of Voegelin's work, mainly in his political theory and in his theory of consciousness. Presentation three, by Barry Cooper (University of Calgary & Eric Voegelin Society), analyses Voegelin's reading of Aristotle, focusing first on the historical perspective of this interpretation and later examining the importance of the notion of nature in it. Presentation four, by Nicoletta Scotti (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Eric Voegelin Gesellschaft), will be dedicated to the reading of Saint Augustine and from this reading he also tries to situate Voegelin's thought, indicating as a conclusion his proximity with Christian Platonism.

Presentation five, by Thierry Gontier (University of Lyon (France), will expose Voegelin’s reading of Hobbes. Hobbes symbolizes the radicalization of the process of modernity initiated in the Middle Ages, and leading to contemporary political disorders. This article deals with the evolution of Voegelin's reading between the 1930s and the end of the 1950s. Presentation six, by Bjorn Thomassen (Roskilde University) revisits the debate and confrontation between Eric Voegelin and Hans Kelsen, two of the most illustrious émigré scholars who found a new home in America after World War II. The debate is important to revisit because it touches upon several axes of debate of crucial importance to postwar intellectual history.

* Note that some of the presentations will be held on-line.

Sub Unit

• Related Groups / Eric Voeglin Society

Chair

• Bernat Torres Morales Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona

Presenters

• Zdravko Planinc McMaster University

• Barry Cooper University of Calgary

• Nicoletta Scotti Muth Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Milan

• Thierry Gontier University of Jean Moulin - Lyon 3

• Bjorn Thomassen Roskilde University